Percy Jackson and the Mirror of Erised

33) The Mirror of Erised

I woke up in the middle of the night, Hogwarts ushering me. I quickly grabbed my bag, which I always had on me, and started running through the hall Hogwarts had made for me.

I could barely see the magic wafting off of the invisibility cloak, but I saw it anyways. I quickly pulled up the cloak and slipped under it with a shocked Harry.

"What are you doing?!"

"I was reading in the Restricted Section! What are you doing?" Harry whispered.

"I woke up in the middle of the night! Hogwarts lead me here! And you do know that I can go into the Restricted Section for you guys, right?"

Harry's jaw dropped and he was about to say something, but Filch's voice rang out, "You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library — Restricted Section."

I didn't feel hidden under the cloak. I was afraid that somehow they'd be able to tell I was there. I was scared I'd pay for this with a beating.

Snape replied to Filch, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."

We stood perfectly still. I found myself clutching onto Harry's arm. I couldn't fool Snape with nightmares, and I knew he wasn't afraid to hit me. Harry glanced back at me.

Snape and Filch turned the corner. I knew the hall was narrow, and they might run into us. Being invisible doesn't change the fact that we are very solid.

Harry pulled us back as quietly as he could. We barely managed to slip through a door that was slightly ajar without touching it.

Though at the last second I saw Snape glance around me. Not the cloak. Not Harry. Not the room. Me.

I'd be in for a beating tomorrow.

Harry pulled the cloak off of us, breathing deeply. I sat on the ground, trying not to shake.

I put my head in my hands, thinking about the scars I'd be getting. I did not like scars. I had enough of those already.

I suddenly heard Harry's breathing pick up. I pulled my head out of my hands, only to see him standing in front of a mirror.

A mirror I immediately recognized.

It was the one from my dream. It had the same inscription at the top. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi.

Harry looked wildly behind him, glancing at me for only a second. He turned to the mirror again, a look of confusion and slight fear on his face as he glanced back over his shoulder.

Harry suddenly stuck his hand out, attempting to touch something that I could not see.

But I could see the magic wafting off of the mirror.

I stood in front of the mirror for a moment, seeing myself in the reflection. I was holding the red stone that had been in my dream before. "You will collect the stone soon enough," my voice seemed to whisper. Harry couldn't hear it, but I could.

Harry looked at the mirror again. He didn't ask what I had seen. I'm not sure he had even noticed I stood in front of it.

I wondered what he saw. It clearly wasn't what I had seen. The glistening tears in his eyes made that very clear.

"Mom?" Harry whispered. "Dad?"

Oh.

Harry pressed himself against the glass, pain and happiness fighting to overpower the other clear on his face.

Harry stood there for awhile. He stared hungrily at the empty mirror. I stood behind him, and couldn't see anything any more. Just Harry's and my reflections.

Suddenly there was a noise and Harry glanced back, seemingly remembering where he was. He stared at me for a second before whispering, "Do you see them? My... my family?"

I frowned, "I don't. I don't see anything except for you and I. But the mirror is magical. It's definitely magical."

Harry nodded, turning back to the mirror and whispering, "I'll come back."

Then we hurried off to our rooms.

"You could have woken me up," Ron said.

"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror."

"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron smiled.

"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasley's, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."

"You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"

Harry didn't look very hungry. I couldn't imagine. He had seen his parents, the one thing he had wanted to do more than anything his entire life.

"Are you all right?" Ron asked his friend. "You look odd."

We made it to the chapter about the title! I was not sure how to word that. This book has moved so far along, and I'm a lot more confident in my writing. I'm not so scared to start new things. I've started publishing another story, and I've started writing an original series. I've even thought of doing something for the Wattys, though I'm not sure what it is I want to do yet. Soon enough, this book is going to be over. This series is going to be over. I've thought about the end. I'm not really sure I want this series to end. I've already decided that Percy, Draco, and Annabeth are going to be best buds in the eighth year. I'll come up with an original plot and everything. Also, I plan on making another book with the little bits. Conversations and moments that aren't seen in this series (a lot from the demigoddish side of things) and stuff from the future. Maybe some prompts if you guys are up for that. I've already fallen in love with this series, and I really hope ya'll fall for it too.

Thank you guys for everything.

With lots of love,
Caroline (aka LindinCapps).